‘EX-Unit’ floor plans developed to be selectable by unit size — 59, 84 and 114㎡
Minimizing structural demolition and securing the technology for structural safety
Samsung C&T Engineering & Construction Group (hereinafter Samsung C&T) has unveiled 18 types of remodeling-specialized floor plans that reflect customers’ lifestyles.
To overcome the monotonous limitations of remodeling floor plans and to diversify the plan configurations customers can choose from, Samsung C&T plans to roll out these newly specialized floor plan types — including free layouts realized by applying a column (rigid-frame) structure to the extended sections — and to move forward with their application on site.
Remodeling is a project that improves an aging residential environment by leaving the existing structural frame in place and expanding the unit’s floor area. However, because construction must proceed while maintaining the frame of the existing building, there have been certain limitations in achieving plan configurations comparable to those of newly built apartments.
The specialized floor plans Samsung C&T unveiled this time are characterized by dramatically expanding the range of customer choices, presenting as many as 18 plans based on the three representative unit sizes of 59, 84 and 114㎡ and on the direction of extension — front, rear or side. First, the 59 and 84㎡ types, which are generally composed of two bays, allow the number of bays — meaning the number of spaces adjacent to a balcony — to be increased through side extension, thereby enhancing natural lighting and the utilization of space. For the 114㎡ type, where demand for increased area is not high, the spatial composition was improved and diversified. In addition, the plan also presents the household-separation (rental-income) floor plan of Raemian Daechi Highstern, which drew attention as the first such plan applied to a remodeling complex. Even within limited space, a variety of spatial options — including a specialized master zone, a front dining space and a wide living room — are offered so that customers can choose as they wish. Furthermore, circulation is planned by dividing the family living area from the private area, and elements such as bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms are placed in the existing structural sections, where spatial transformation is not easy, so that the configuration in the extended space can be more freely arranged.
Samsung C&T branded these remodeling-specialized floor plans ‘EX-Unit,’ conveying the meaning of maintaining the existing frame (Existing) as much as possible while extending the space in diverse ways (Extending). The company has also completed its design rights application and plans to apply the plans sequentially to future new remodeling projects it wins, such as Gwangnaru Hyundai, for which it was recently selected as the preferred bidder.
Along with developing floor plans for remodeling space innovation, Samsung C&T is also devoting effort to developing technologies that dramatically strengthen construction safety. It jointly developed with Ajou University a ‘Remodeling Structural Safety Assessment Program’ that analyzes the load-burden ratios of the structure before and after remodeling to automatically calculate the sections requiring demolition, and it applies a design method that minimizes structural demolition. In addition, the company plans to develop and expand the on-site application of various technologies, including the ‘Smart Pre-loading Pile Reinforcement Method,’ which manages load-distributing reinforcement piles in remodeling foundation reinforcement work with an automatic control device, and the ‘Automatic Top-Down System Soundproof Wall,’ which operates automatically via a hydraulic device during frame demolition.